September 24th, 2012 by deewin | Comments Off on Self-Regulation in the BC Classroom

It’s being described as a watershed moment in B.C. education.

Six school districts have embarked on a project that views self-regulation as the key to addressing the mental, physical and psychological diversity in classrooms that sometimes disrupts learning and creates a stressful environment for teachers.

Leaders in those districts have embraced the philosophy of York University professor Stuart Shanker, that teaching children to self-regulate — in other words, remain calm, focused and alert — is the best way to help them learn. It’s a theory backed by education ministry officials.

Surrey superintendent Mike McKay, who is leading the B.C. project, says the goal is to apply brain research in designated classrooms while working with Shanker’s research team. The districts — Surrey, West Vancouver, Coquitlam, Victoria, Bulkley Valley and Nanaimo-Ladysmith — are simply the “first wave” of an effort McKay hopes will spread provincewide.

Click here to read the entire article (written by Janet Steffenhagen), published in today’s Vancovuer Sun.

September 24th, 2012 by Jennifer O. | Comments Off on Re-Imagining and Indigenizing the Library’s Role in Educating New Teachers: Tuesday September 25

You are cordially invited to re-imagine the role of libraries – specifically the Education Library, First Nations House of Learning Xwi7xwa Library, and more broadly, school libraries will be examined.

The re-imagined teacher education program has inspired revision in the role Education librarians play to respectfully and meaningfully integrate First Nations history, content, and world-views; commit to inquiry and research oriented education; and emphasize diversity and social and ecological justice. Our libraries can support teacher candidates as they acquire theoretical understandings for teaching and apply those theories in their practice. We bring teacher candidates and ideas together in library spaces that offer unique learning environments, where inquiry, collaboration, the role of Indigenous Knowledge, relationships and ways of knowing are celebrated. This session will be interactive: we present our re-imagined roles and seek feedback and ideas to further ensure our relevance for faculty and teacher candidates.

Presented by:

Sarah DupontAboriginal Engagement Librarian, First Nations House of Learning—Xwi7xwa Library